Published by Capstone, this site provides digital access to more than 4,500 titles from 26 publishers geared toward students in grades K-12. 70% of content is nonfiction. Student profiles and reading history are created based on student interests and reading ability. Reading enhancements: audio, highlighting, and dictionary access. Metrics: student reading material, time spent reading, comprehension quizzes. Awards: 2011 EDDIE Award, 2011 BESSIE Award, 2013 Innovation Award by the Association of Education Publishers. Subscription cost: $6,500 annually per school
TumbleBooks provides access to a collection of licensed titles from children's book publishers, including Simon & Shuster, Chronicle Books, Candlewick Press,Charlesbridge Press, Walker & Company Annick pRess, Orca Books, Lerner Books, Harper Collins Publishers, and others. TumbleBooks modify existing picture books by adding animation, narration, sound, and music. Read-along chapter books are also available for older readers, as well as video content to support CCS, and non-fiction titles. Enhancements: educator's resources, lesson plans, TumbleQuizzes, online book reports Subscription cost: $499 annually, discounts available for two or more schools
BookFlix
This is one of Scholastic's offering in ebooks (Storia is another, it is an app based ereader). BookFlix pairs video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction books published by Scholastic. Cost: upon request, free 30 day trial available
The International Children's Digital Library Foundation's mission is to 'support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global community...by making the best in children's literature available online free of charge' (Mission statement, http://en.childrenslibrary.org/about/mission.shtml). This library offers digital picture books in 61 languages. This resource would be especially helpful in a school community where multiple languages are spoken. Cost: Free, Users may establish an account to specify what language they prefer, and use digital bookmarks.
Storyline Online
This small video library of children's picture books is presented by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Picture books are narrated by Screen Actors Guild members, and the production values are high - which is to be expected given the source. Activity guides are available. Cost: Free
This is really a hybrid content management, virtual library, and DIY space. The National Science Digital Library has created a tool to search for, mash up, and present videos, images, and other resources from other National Science Digital Library sources. Users must register for a free account.
PebbleGo
Another offering from Capstone, PebbleGo is a collection of databases on animals, earth and space, biographies, and social studies. Content is appropriate for grades k-3/emergent readers. Articles include an audible file so students can choose to read on their own or have an item read to them. Photographs, diagrams, and video clips are included. Awards: 2011 Award of Excellence (Tech & Learning magazine), 2011 CODiE Finalist (The Software and Information Industry Association), the 2011 BESSIE Award (CompuetEd Gazette), 2010 Teachers’ Choice Awards for the Classroom (Learning Magazine), 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award (Association of Educational Publishers), and the 2010 EDDIES Award (ComputEd Gazette). Subscription cost: $395 per database
This offering from Gale Cengage offers access to proprietary content from two publishers (Blackbirch Press and U.X.L.), 100 age-appropriate magazines, indexed images, Merriam-Webster Elementary Dictionary, and more than 2,000 maps, charts, and graphs. Content is broken into two categories -
one targeted for students grades k-2, and another for students in grades 3-5. Younger students search by selecting icons instead of typing search terms. Grades 3-5 may search by subject or icon. Subjects covered include animals, arts/entertainment, geography, history, history, social studies, inventions/technology, plants, people, science, math, sports, literature and transportaion. Search results are presented by source type - Reference, Magazine, Newspapers, Maps, flags and seals, Charts and graphs, Images. Cost: upon request; free trial available.
This Scholastic product provides digital access to True Books titles, with teacher resources available. Cost: by request, free trial available
Resources for Content Management
Management, presentation, and integration of virtual library materials is just as important as the content itself. If you can't search it, you can't find it; if you can't find it, you can't use it. Content can be managed in several ways depending on how much time a librarian has - using a tool like FollettShelf, a spreadsheet, or a customized database.
This is the digital content management tool developed by Follett. It integrates content from these providers into the Destiny library management system, allowing these resources to be managed seamlessly with print resources: Follett eBooks, ADBO Digital Databases, ABDO eBoost, ABDO Interactive Books, Catalist Digital, Capstone Interactive Library, Catalist Digital, Lerner Interactive Books, PebbleGo, Rosen's PowerKnowledge Science Suite, Rosen's Financial Literacy, Rosen's Teen Health & Wellness, Rourke Interactive eBooks, TumbleBooks. Each provider charges a subscription fee. Once active, the proprietary content can be viewed, used, and checked out, as appropriate.
Resources for reading/ebook resources
myON Reader
Published by Capstone, this site provides digital access to more than 4,500 titles from 26 publishers geared toward students in grades K-12. 70% of content is nonfiction. Student profiles and reading history are created based on student interests and reading ability.Reading enhancements: audio, highlighting, and dictionary access.
Metrics: student reading material, time spent reading, comprehension quizzes.
Awards: 2011 EDDIE Award, 2011 BESSIE Award, 2013 Innovation Award by the Association of Education Publishers.
Subscription cost: $6,500 annually per school
TumbleBooks
TumbleBooks provides access to a collection of licensed titles from children's book publishers, including Simon & Shuster, Chronicle Books, Candlewick Press,Charlesbridge Press, Walker & Company Annick pRess, Orca Books, Lerner Books, Harper Collins Publishers, and others. TumbleBooks modify existing picture books by adding animation, narration, sound, and music. Read-along chapter books are also available for older readers, as well as video content to support CCS, and non-fiction titles.Enhancements: educator's resources, lesson plans, TumbleQuizzes, online book reports
Subscription cost: $499 annually, discounts available for two or more schools
BookFlix
This is one of Scholastic's offering in ebooks (Storia is another, it is an app based ereader). BookFlix pairs video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction books published by Scholastic.
Cost: upon request, free 30 day trial available
International Children's Digital Library
The International Children's Digital Library Foundation's mission is to 'support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global community...by making the best in children's literature available online free of charge' (Mission statement,http://en.childrenslibrary.org/about/mission.shtml). This library offers digital picture books in 61 languages. This resource would be especially helpful in a school community where multiple languages are spoken.
Cost: Free, Users may establish an account to specify what language they prefer, and use digital bookmarks.
Storyline Online
This small video library of children's picture books is presented by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Picture books are narrated by Screen Actors Guild members, and the production values are high - which is to be expected given the source. Activity guides are available.
Cost: Free
Resources for research
Content Clips.com
This is really a hybrid content management, virtual library, and DIY space. The National Science Digital Library has created a tool to search for, mash up, and present videos, images, and other resources from other National Science Digital Library sources. Users must register for a free account.PebbleGo
Another offering from Capstone, PebbleGo is a collection of databases on animals, earth and space, biographies, and social studies. Content is appropriate for grades k-3/emergent readers. Articles include an audible file so students can choose to read on their own or have an item read to them. Photographs, diagrams, and video clips are included.
Awards: 2011 Award of Excellence (Tech & Learning magazine), 2011 CODiE Finalist (The Software and Information Industry Association), the 2011 BESSIE Award (CompuetEd Gazette), 2010 Teachers’ Choice Awards for the Classroom (Learning Magazine), 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award (Association of Educational Publishers), and the 2010 EDDIES Award (ComputEd Gazette).
Subscription cost: $395 per database
Kids InfoBits
This offering from Gale Cengage offers access to proprietary content from two publishers (Blackbirch Press and U.X.L.), 100 age-appropriate magazines, indexed images, Merriam-Webster Elementary Dictionary, and more than 2,000 maps, charts, and graphs. Content is broken into two categories -one targeted for students grades k-2, and another for students in grades 3-5. Younger students search by selecting icons instead of typing search terms. Grades 3-5 may search by subject or icon. Subjects covered include animals, arts/entertainment, geography, history, history, social studies, inventions/technology, plants, people, science, math, sports, literature and transportaion. Search results are presented by source type - Reference, Magazine, Newspapers, Maps, flags and seals, Charts and graphs, Images.
Cost: upon request; free trial available.
TrueFlix
This Scholastic product provides digital access to True Books titles, with teacher resources available.Cost: by request, free trial available
Resources for Content Management
Management, presentation, and integration of virtual library materials is just as important as the content itself. If you can't search it, you can't find it; if you can't find it, you can't use it. Content can be managed in several ways depending on how much time a librarian has - using a tool like FollettShelf, a spreadsheet, or a customized database.FollettShelf
This is the digital content management tool developed by Follett. It integrates content from these providers into the Destiny library management system, allowing these resources to be managed seamlessly with print resources: Follett eBooks, ADBO Digital Databases, ABDO eBoost, ABDO Interactive Books, Catalist Digital, Capstone Interactive Library, Catalist Digital, Lerner Interactive Books, PebbleGo, Rosen's PowerKnowledge Science Suite, Rosen's Financial Literacy, Rosen's Teen Health & Wellness, Rourke Interactive eBooks, TumbleBooks. Each provider charges a subscription fee. Once active, the proprietary content can be viewed, used, and checked out, as appropriate.